Washing machine



Jan 3l, 1939. R. R. MILLER WASHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Shree?I 1 Filed July20, 1936 Jan. 31, 1939. R. R. MILLER WASHING MACHINE Filed July 20, 19362 Sheets-Sheet 2 25 shown in the accompanying drawings, in whichPatented Jan. 31, 1939 PATENT'. OFFICE l WASHING MACHINE RoyalR.-Miller, Chicago, Ill.,

assigner of onehalf to mm1 J. dus, mversiaem. Application July zo, 193s,serial No. 91,432 14 claims. (c1. ca zs) This invention relates towashing machines, and particularly to washing machine agitators andagitator and bowl arrangements which are operable in accordance with thegeneral scheme disclosed in my co-pending applications, Serial No. 9,803filed March 7, 1935, and Serial No. 56,192, filed December 26, 1935.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved washingmachine agitator; to provide an improved agitator construction; toprovide an agitator capable of more emciently agitating the contents ofa washing machine; to provide an agitator that will produce an improvedsuspended and cushioned tumbling action of the material being washed; toprovide an improved washingmachine bowl and agitator arrangement wherebygreater operating efciency is obtained; to provide such an arrangementwherein the water currents are more positively and eiciently directed toobtain most effective agitation; and to provide an improved agitator inwhich mechanical resistance to the flow of water currents around theagitator is reduced to a minimum.

A specic embodiment of this invention is Fig. 1 is a sectional elevationof a washing machine embodying the improved agitator construction andagitator and bowl arrangement.

tially broken away and showing an arrangement of perforations andreinforcement for the agitator disc.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the improved agitator showing itsconstruction more in detail. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevationof a modied form of the improved agitator, and

Fig. 5 is a partially rsectioned fragmentary view,

in elevation, of the agitator carrying head showingv an improvedarrangement for securing the same onto the main drive shaft.

In the, form shown in the drawings the improved agitator comprisesessentially a flat annular disc having an upwardly tapered centralportion which forms a hub arranged to be journaled on a. shafteccentrically carried by a main drive shaft and inclined upwardly andinwardly so that its axis will intersect the axis of the main driveshaft. The agitator is disposed within a bowl-shaped tub, the lower sidewall portion of which is spherically shaped and located so that thecenter of curvature of the spherically shaped portion will substantiallycoincide with the point of intersection of the agitator shaft axis andthe axis of the main drive shaft whicl projects ver- Fig. 2 is a bottomplan view of the agitator pary bowl 5 and on the end of the main wardlyand inwardly with its Atically upward from the bowl'bottom. 'I'hus the'agitator extends transversely ofthe tub and is supported in a tiltedposition with the plane of the disc always at an angle relative to the'tub bottom or the' horizontal. l

As shown in Figgl the washing machine comprises an outer shell or casingI, mounted upon a base 2, which infturn is supported on Wheels 3 which,by an arrangement not shown, may be retracted to allow the base 2 torest directly upon 10 the floor. -In the lower portion of the casing Iis a transversely extending base plate 4' dividing the casing '-intoupper and lower sections. A water bowl or container 51s housed in theupper section of the casing I, with its bottom disposed 15 close to thebase plate d; and a drive mechanism 6 is disposed in the lower sectionof the casing I and has a main drive shaft 1 extending upwardly throughthe base plate` l and the bottom of the bowl 5 through a suitablehousing and seal ar- 2o rangement 8.

The casing I andthe bowl'5 are together arranged to provide a relativelylarge top opening through which access is had to the interior of thebowl 5, and a removable'cover 9 is provided 25 as a closure for the topopening.

As shown in Fig. 1 the main drive shaft 'I extends a relatively shortdistance intothe interior of-the bowl 5, extending upwardly from thebottom thereof in a central position. Within the 3o drive shaft lclosely adjacent the bowl bottom is a suitable driving head i9 having anupwardly and inwardly tapered hexagonal bore formed to receive and iit asimilarly tapered hexagonal end of the shaft 35 '11. The head II) isarranged to carry an agitator shaft l I, made of steel or any othersuitable hard wearing material, which in the form shown is cast into aneccentric angularly disposed portion I2 of the head I Il and sopositionedV as to extend up- 40 axis intersecting 'I at the point C. anannular body the axis of the main drive shaft The water bowl or tub 5 isprovided with a relatively flat horizontal bottom I3 from the margins ofwhich the side wall ex- 45 tends outwardly and upwardly in an arcuatecurve having its center at the point C, the side wall continuingvertically'upward from the level of the point C, thus forming a body,the lower portion of which is in the form of a truncated hemisphere andthe upper portion of which is cylindrical.

The improved agitator I4 comprises a flat annular disc portion I5 and anupwardly tapered central portion I6 which is normal to the plane 55 ofthe discportion I5 and arranged to provide a hub for mounting theagitator onto the agitator shaft II. The agitator Il is preferably madeas a single casting and as shown the central portion I6 terminates ashort distance above the end of a bore I1 in which shaft II isjournaled. As shown the upperend of the central portion of the agitatoris provided with an externally threaded boss I8 on which a tapered tipor post I9 is secured by means of threaded engagement with the boss I8,the post I9 extending upwardly to a point adjacent the top opening ofthe bowl 5.

A 'I'he post I9 is made with'an outside diameter at its lower endsubstantially equivalent to the outside diameter of the central agitatorportion I6 at its top, so that the outer surface of the post.

I9 will be flush with the outer surface of the central portion I6 at thepoint where the post and the agitator are joined.

The agitator herein shown is proportioned so that the main body of theupwardly extending central portion I6 of the agitator and the post I9taper upwardly in a gentle curve so aS to more effectively direct thedownward flow of the water currents produced by the agitator when theagitator is in operation'; and also to obviate any tangling or twistingon the post I9 and central portion I6, of the material being washed. Forexample, in the device which is illustrated herein the agitator disc I5is made with a diameter of approximately eighteen and one-half inchesand the tip of the post I9 is approximately fourteen and one-half inchesabove the upper face of the disc I5 terminating in a rounded portionabout one-half inch wide. .The radius of curvature of the upward taperof the central portion I6 and post I9 is approximately thirty-six inchesand this curve is blended into the plane surface of the disc I5 througha tangential curve having a radius of approximately two andthree-fourths inches. It has been found that such proportions have amaterial effect upon the eiiiciency of the device as a washer,particularly in that a greater amount of tumbling of the clothes and amore rapid, travel from side to center to side is had than is possiblewithv former arrangements or constructions.

In the form shown in the drawings the central portion IB of theagitator, in which the hub is formed, ares downwardly outward away fromthe hub 20, leaving the hub as a cylindrical portion, centrallydisposed, extending downwardly from the upper part of the centralportion I6. The annular disc portion i5 is formed at right angles ornormal to the axis of the hub 20 and is provided with a flat smooth evenupper surface, uninterrupted by any manner of ribs, fins, or otherprojections.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a reinforcement is provided on the underside of the agitator disc I5 and comprises a at bead 2| formed on theouter margin of the disc and a plurality of radially extending thickenedportions 22 which join into the at marginal bead 2|. The reinforcingportions 2I and 22 are made quite wide as shown and curve slowly fromtheir crests into the lower surface of the disc so as to offer the leastamount of resistance possible to the ow of the water currents under theagitator and over the outer margin. Thus the bead 2l comprises amarginal bulge, on the under side of the disc I5, which tails of!gradually into the disc surface and the radial reinforcements 22 arebeaver-tailed in section, tapering 'off gradually from each side oftheir respective radial center lines.

, or v.'letsof water, on the descending side of the agitator, whichcause a more rapid movement and turn over.of the material being washedas well as the function of directing the material toward the upper sideportion of the tub and counteracting the tendency of the material frommerely following the disc in its up and down movement.

As shown, the radial reinforcements 22 of the agitator disc lextendinwardly and into the central portion I6 where they join into the hubportion 20 somewhat above the end thereof. f

The lower end of the hub 20 is inwardly beveled as at 23 and anoutwardly flared funnel shaped collar 24- is disposed over the lower endof the hub 20 so as to facilitate entrance of the agitator shaft II intothe bore I1.

'I'he collar 24 is a press fit onto the hubL 20 and the outwardly flaredportion extends to the side wall of the central portion I6 of theagitator, the portion of the collar embracing the hub 20 being of suchlength as to engage the reinforcements 22' at the point where they jointhe hub 20, thus maintaining the flared portion of the collar in aposition substantially flush with the beveled portion 23 of the hub 2uso that the end of the shaft I I will readily enter the bore I1 when theagitator is being set upon the shaft.

The agitator as shown merely rests upon the shaft II and is not lsecuredthereto, and in order to provide adjustment of the position of theagitator on the shaft I I a set screw 25 (see Fig. 1), is mounted in athreaded bore 26 extending axially through the boss I8 and into the boreI1. The set screw 25 is arranged to engage the end of the shaft II andthus provide a limitstop determining the amount that the shaft I I willextend into the bore I1. A lock nut 21 is provided on the upper end ofthe set screw 25 and engages the end of the boss I8 to preventinadvertent change of adjustment of the set screw 25.

A modified arrangement of the improved agitator is illustrated in Fig. 4and the modification y comprises mainly the upturned or curved annularmargin 28 of the disc portion I5. In this arrangement the upturnedmargin 28 is curved on a radius equivalent to substantially four timesthe thickness of the disc portion of the agitator or, according to theproportions shown, about onehalf inch, and the inner corner of the upperedge of the margin 28 is rounded as at 29.

The upturned margin 28 of the modified form of agitator obviates thenecessity of employing the reinforcements 2I and 22 shown on the agita'tor construction illustrated in Fig. 3^, the upwardly extending marginserving their function.

As shown in Figf- ,5 the head III which carries the agitator shaftfi/Iis provided with a Vtapered bore shaped to t the tapered hexagonal endpor- .tion 30 of the shaft 1, and is locked thereto by 1lis shown inFig. 1 the agitator I4 is disposed on the shaft I I so as to t closelyto the bottom I3 of the bowl 5, the exact position being determined bythe angle of the agitator shaft II and the maintenance of a reasonableclearance between the lowermost portion of the agitator disc I5 and thebowl bottom I3.` Thus the agitator disc I5 is set low in the tub 5 andextends transversely thereof from side to side at an angle relative tothe plane of the bowl bottom. Also the bowl or tub 5 is so proportionedrelative to the diameter of the agitator disc I5 lthat there will be aclearance of approximately one-sixteenth of an inch between theoutermost periphery of the disc I5 and the side wall of the tub or bowl.

This clearance may vary somewhat due to manufacturing tolerances, but itis intended that the margin of the disc I5 should alwaysclosely followthe wall of the bowl or tub 5. The location of the tub wall relative tothe agitator disc I5 is shown by the dotted line in Figs.3 and 4.

The improved agitator is preferably made with its upper orclothes-contacting surfaces polished smooth so as to minimize friction,and with its lower surface in the area of the disc portion I5 buffed orbrushed so as to be smooth. 'Ihus it will be apparent that whateveragitation of the water or material contained in the bowl 5 is had willbe mainly derived from water currents produced by the movement of theagitator, rather than by any iins or other structural element whichmight directly engage the clothesor have a lateral paddling action onthe water.

, In operation the agitator I4 is freely rotatable upon the shaft II andthe shaft II is gyrated about the axis of the main drive shaft 1, thusgyrating the agitator I4 about the axis of the shaft 1 so that theraisedand lowered portions of the disc I5 tend to travel in horizontalpaths about the wall of the tub 5. However, due to the fact that theagitator is freely rotatable on the shaft II there is a tendency for theshaft II to turn in the bore I'I, causing the agitator I4 to wobble fromside to side during the-gyrating movement of the shaft I I. This wobblemovement is due to the fact that the inertia of the agitator I4 and theresistance caused by the contents of the tub prevents the agitator beingrotated at the same speed as the head4 I0. The result is that eachportion of the agitator disc will be alternately raised and lowered asthough the agitator were suspended at the point C and oscillated fromside to side pendulously while at the same time being rotated on thepoint of suspension.

During such wobble movement the tub contents are strongly agitated dueto revolving water currents that are created by the agitator and thematerial being Washed is tumbled about both a horizontal and a verticalaxis. The water currents tend to follow the paths indicated by thearrows in Fig. 1 and because of l their revolving movementsubstantiallysuspend the material in the water above the agitator sothat contact with the agitator is reduced to a minimum.

Because of the polished smooth even upper surface of the agitator thespeed and strength of the water currents is greatly increased overl thatof other devices and arrangements. Also friction between the materialbeing washed and the agitator is reduced to a minimum as far 'as anyWearing or beating effect is concerned. There being no ribs or ins orother projections on the agitator surface, the danger of the materialbeing torn, beaten, whipped or otherwise being roughly treated, isobviated. Instead a steady suspended cushioned tumbling action is had.Also a more rapid turn over of the material is obtained than with otherdevices and thus a more rapid washing or cleansing action.

The elimination of vertical ins or ribs', which the present inventionaccomplishes, also permits the handling of a greater material load withmaximum eiliciency than can be taken with other washing machines havingthe same volumetric capacity.

It will be observed that though there is a small space between themargin of thev agitator disc and the spherical side wall of the tub, thematerial being washed will not enter or become caught between theagitator and the tub because of the fact that there is a substantiallyconstant upward water current passing over the edge of the agitatordisc, thus forcing the material away from the said space.

The main advantages of the present invention are derived from theimproved agitator construction and the resultant .agitator and bowlarrangement or combination, whereby a greatly improved and more rapidwashing action is obtained. The minimizing of friction by providing asmooth even upper surface for the agitator is unprecedented, as otherconstructions are either provided with ribs or with vertical or spiralfins which act laterally upon both the water and the material beingwashed. Also the location of the disc agitator below the material beingwashed further obviates the possibility of any beating action on thematerial. Another advantage is in the spherical bowl and agitatorarrangement whereby a maximum of free open space is pro-l vided in thebowl for holding the washing load and for the removal of the same.

Although but two specific embodiments of this invention are herein shownand described it will be understood that numerous details of theconstruction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from thespirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a washing machine, a tub having a spherical inside wall surface,an agitator disposed adjacent the bottom of said tub and comprising adat disc portion extending transversely of said tub, said agitatorhaving a multiplicity of small closely spaced perforations in said atdisc portion and occupying a major portion of the area thereof andhaving a polished smooth upper surface, a rotatable driving meansextending upwardly from the bottom of said tub, and a connection betweensaid driving means and said agitator arranged to support said agitatorin a tilted position relative to the bottom of said tub and to impart arotary pendulous motion to said agitator relative to the sphericalcenter of said tub. l .l

2. In a washing machine, a tub having a spherical inside wall surface,an agitator disposed adjacent the bottom of prising an upwardly taperedcentral portion extending substantially to the top of said tub and aflat annular disc portion extending transversely of said tub anddisposed in one plane normal to said central portion, a centrallydisposed rotatable driving means extending upwardly from the bottom of,said tub, and a 'connection between said driving means and said agitatorarranged to support said agitator in a tilted position relative to thebottom of said tub and to impart movement to said agitator such that theaxis of said central portion describes a cone having its said tub and4comcenter of the tub.

3. In a washing machine, a tub, an agitator disposed adjacent; thebottom of said tub and comprising an upwardly tapered central portionextending Asubstantially to the top of said tube and a at annular -discportion normal to said central portion and `extending transversely ofsaid tub, said agitator having a smooth even upper surface devoid of'projections other than said central portion, a/rotatable` driving meansextending vertically upwardly from the bottom of said tub, and aconnection between said driving means and said agitator arranged tosupport said agitator in a tilted position relative to the bottom ofsaid tub.

4. In a washing machine, a tub, an agitator disposed adjacent the bottomof said tub and comprising an upwardly tapered central portion extendingsubstantially to the top of said tub and a at annular disc portionextending transversely of said tub and normal to the axis of saidcentral portion, said agitatorV having a smooth even upper surfacedevoid of projections other than said central portion and closely spacedperforations in said fiat disc portion, a rotatable driving meansextending vertically upwardly from the bottom of said tub, and aconnection between said driving means and .said agitator arranged tosupport said agitator with the axis of said central portion tiltedrelative to the axis of said driving means.

5. A washing machine comprising a tub having a spherical inside wallsurface adjacent its bottom, an agitator disposed adjacent the bottom ofsaid tub below the spherical center of said wall surface and having aflat annular disc portion extending transversely of said tub, themargins of said disc portion being in close proximity to said sphericalwall surface, and a centrally disposed rotatable driving means extendingvertically upward from the bottom of said tub and arranged to supportsaid agitator in a tilted position with the central transverse axis ofsaid agitator intersecting the axis of said driving means at thespherical center of said wall surface.

6. A washing machine comprising a tub having a spherical inside wallsurface adjacent its bottom, an agitator disposed adjacent the bottom ofsaid tub below the spherical center of said wall surface and having aflat annular disc portion extending transversely of. said tub and anupwardly tapered central portion normal to said disc portion andextending substantially to the top of said tub, said agitator having asmooth even upper surface devoid of projections other than said centralportion and the margins of said disc portion being in close proximity tosaid spherical Wall surface, and a rotatable driving means extendingvertically upward from the bottom of said tub and arranged to supportsaid agitator in a tilted position with theaxis of said central portionintersecting the axis of said drivingy means at the spherical center ofsaid wall surface.

7. A washing machine agitator comprising a flat transversely extendingdisc portion, an upwardly tapered central portion, and a hub housed insaidcentral portion, said disc portion and said central portion having asmooth even upper surface devoid of projections therefrom.

8. A washing machine agitator comprising an upwardly tapered centralportion the base .of which flares outwardly into a fiat disc portionextending transversely and normal to the axis of said central portion,and a hub in said central portion, said central portion and said discportion having a smooth even upper surface devoid of projectionstherefrom.

9. A washing machine agitator comprising an upwardly tapered centralportion the base of which flares outwardly into a ilat disc portionextending transversely and normal to the axis oi said central portion,and a hub in said central portion, said central portion being taperedthroughout its length and together with said disc portion having apolished smooth upper surface uninterrupted by lateral and verticalprojections.

10. A washing machine agitator comprising a hollow upwardly taperedcentral portion the base of which flares outwardly into a portionextending transversely of the axis of said central portion, a hub housedwholly within said hollow central portion and integral therewith at itsupper end, saidhub being spaced from the side wall of said centralportion at its lower end and having an axial bore, and a collar securedon the lower end of said hub and having a conical flange the innermargin of which is ush with the end of said hub, said flange extendingdownwardly and outwardly to the side wall of said central portion toclose o the space between the lower end of said hub and said side wall.

11. A washing machine agitator comprising a hollowupwardly taperedcentral portion the base of which flares outwardly into a flat discportion extending transversely and normal to the axis of said centralportion, a hub housed wholly within said hollow central portion andintegral therewith at its upper end, said hub being spaced from the sidewall of said central portion at its lower end and having an axial bore,and a co1- lar secured on the lower end of said hub and having a conicalflange the inner margin of which is flush with the end of said hub, saidflange extending downwardly and outwardly to the side wall of saidcentral portion to close off the space between the lower end of said huband said side wall.

12. A washing machine agitator comprising a flat annular transverselyextending disc portion, a relatively long upwardly tapered centralportion normaly to the plane of said disc portion, an upwardly turnedflange at the marginal edge of said disc portion, and a hub housedwithin said central portion, said disc portion and said central portionhaving a smooth even upper surface devoid of projections therefrom.

13. In a washing machine, a tub arranged for holding a washing liquidand having a spherical inside wall surface adjacent the bottom thereof,a rotatable driving means extending vertically upward from the bottom ofsaid tub, an agitator comprising a flat annular disk disposed in saidtub transversely adjacent the bottom thereof and having an upwardlytapering central portion normal to the plane of said disk and extendingsubstantially to the topof said tub, and a connection between saiddriving means and 'said agitator arranged to support the agitator sothat the disc portion thereof is disposed in a plane which isnon-perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said 'driving means and. topendulously rotate said agitator below the spherical center of saidinside wall surface.

14. In a washing machine, a tub arranged for holding a washing liquidand having a spherical inside wall surface adjacent the bottom thereof,a rotatable driving means extending vertically upward from the bottom ofsaid tub. an agitator comprising a flat annular disk disposed in saidtub transversely adjacent the bottom thereof and having an upwardlytapering central portion normal to the plane of said disk and extendingsubstantially to the top of said tub, said disk being devoid ofprojections other than said centrai portion. and a connection betweensaid driving means and said agitator for supporting the agitator so thatsaid disk is disposed in a plane which is non-perpendicular to the axisof rotation of said driving means and for pendulously oscillating saidagitator below the spherical center oi' said inside wall surface.

ROYAL R. MILLER.

